OES to test soil, groundwater

Oklahoma Environmental Services announced Wednesday the testing of soil and groundwater at 55 petroleum storage tank sites across Oklahoma, including Enid and the surrounding area.

The tank sites, registered as “temporarily out of use,” will be tested for potential leakage. They currently don’t meet Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines either because of not meeting upgrade requirements for continued use or they have not been permanently closed to EPA standards, according to OES.

Recently, Oklahoma Corporation Commission solicited bids from environmental consultants to conduct the sampling effort to determine if any of the tanks have previously leaked. OES won the bid to perform testing, and will begin at each site by drilling either 5 feet or 20 feet below the surface to collect soil and groundwater samples.

If contamination is found, pending eligibility, an available state fund is open to help with required follow-up actions, according to OES.

In a similar situation in 2015, OES examined a site in Okmulgee formerly known as Catfish George’s Place, where former convenience store owner George LeGrand had tanks on his property needing to be removed, but was worried about it being costly. OES approached LeGrand and helped to resolve the storage tank issue.

“Our commitment is to work as aggressively as possible to resolve cases and secure the environmental safety of the communities we serve,” said OES President Deanna Atkinson. “And getting to represent the best interest of clients like Mr. LeGrand is just icing on the cake.”

OES has offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Enid, and completes field work and remediation with in-house consultants and field technicians.